Day and night sign



Qct. 21, 1930, H.'F. vosHARD'r :DAY AND NIGHT sIGN Filed June 26, 1928 INVENTOR BY b'ww v' M ATTORNEYS current (not shown), so as to provide for the for'med of a sheet metal section, an outwardly Patented Oct. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERMAN F. VOSHARDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASVSIGNOR TO FRIEDLEY-VOSHARDT C0., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DAY AND nIGH'r sIGN Application filed June 26,

My invention relates to those signs which are constructed so as to be serviceable bot-h in the day time and at night, the latter being accomplished by placing electric lights inside of the sign box and inserting translucent glass over the apertures forming the letters or symbols of the sign. i

My invention has for its object, to provide a construction which will permit of the utilization of the cut-out portion to form a separate letter or symbol, and also to provide means for keeping the signs clean when in use.

Signs of this kind with which I am familiar have the inner edges of the letter contact with the glass; when this construction is employed the dust and dirt lodge on the horizontal portions of the letter next to the glass, and when rain comes the front of the sign is soon streaked with dirty water running down the face of the sign. By providing, as I do, for a space intermediate the inner edges of the letter and the translucent glass, the dust and dirt, instead of lodging, fall down inside of the sign, and when Vit'rains the water washes the glass clean and escapes through the seep holes provided at the bottom of the sign box, carrying with it the accumulation of dirt and dust. V

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readily understood by having reference to the accompanying drawings, which are hereunto annexed and made a part of this specification, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

F ig. 2 is a cross-section, taken on line 2 '2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section, taken on line 3-3 of Flg. 1; and

Fig. 4: shows the letter formed by the utilization of otherwise waste material.

Similar'reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entire description.`

As shown in the drawings, the letter is shown mounted in front of a sign box 1, having a back 2, and electric bulbs 8 and 4 which are connected to a suitable source of .electric illumination of the sign at night. The front of the sign is formed by a plurality of sheet 'part of the sign. fcut-out portion is covered by a sheet of transwith the ivious that a 1928. SeriaLNo. 288,334.

-outwardly fiaring moulding 5, which is suitable for gilding so as to furnish the day In the center, as at 6, this lucent glass 7, secured in any suitable or convenient manner, as by clips 8. The bottom of the sign box is provided with a plurality of apertures or seep holes 9, to enable the escape of water from the inside of the signbox 1.

In stamping the letter, I form a channel 10 surrounding the. configuration of the'letter,

its walls on the opposite side forminga ridge` against which the glass 7 is held by the clips .8,,this ridge holding it in spaced relation not only to the sheet of metalA of which the letter iisformed, but -so that the inner edges 11 of the letter cannot and do not contactwith the glass`7 at all. In fact, in some instances it may be found desirable, in Cutting out the letter, to have the inne-r edges 11 of the letter cut away sufi'iciently so they will not contact glass 7 even if the channel 10 is omitte'd. o

It will be apparent from the foregoing de- -scription that :I have provided a construction which will fully accomplish the objects hereinbefore set forth.

In stamping out the letter in this, way, I find it`possible to utilize all of the material forming the cut-out portion of the letter, which can then be stamped or formed as shownin Fig. 4, thereby. forming aletter for use on windows, or Vin lo'therplaces Where opaque letters are desirable for use. I thus vmaterially reduce the cost of both letters, by

-the utilization, in making the opaque letter,

of what would otherwise be waste material Vfromzthe dayrand night sign. 4 'Although I have shown but a single letter itV will be obplurality of them will be used in a sign. w l

Having thus described my invention,.what

I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

`1.In a sign, a box having ,each letter proJecting member stamped thereon ;tojrde- 'naA fine a letter, the edge of which forms a molding which fi'ares outwardly, an inwardly projecting ridge on the inner Side of 'Said Sheet metal and conforming to the configuration of Said letter, a Sheet of translucent material back of Said letter, and means to hold Said translucent material against said ridge and in Spaced relation to the sheet metal.

2. In a sign, a box having each letter formed of a Sheet metal section which has an outwardly projecting member stamped thereon to define a letter the edges of which form a molding, Said molding flaring outwardly, a Sheet of translucent material back of said letter, and means on Said letter to Space Said translucent material therefrom.

3. In a Sign, a box having each letter formed of a Sheet metal Section which has a molding Stamped thereon to define a letter, Said molding flaring outwardly, a Sheet of translucent material back of said letter, the edges of the molding being in spaced relation to the translucent material, and a channel running around said letter the bottom of which contacts with the translucent material and holds said letter in spaced relation thereto.

4. In a sign, a box having each letter formed of a Sheet metal Section which has a molding Stamped thereon, to define a letter, said molding flaring outwardly, a Sheet of translucent material back of said letter, the edges of the molding being in Spaced relation to the translucent material, and a channel running around said letter the bottom of which contacts the translucent materialv and holdS Said letter in spaced relation thereto, there being Seep holes in the bottom of said channel.

5. In a sign, a box having each letter formed of a Sheet metal section, an outwardly projecting member Stamped thereon to define a letter, the edge of which forms a molding which fiares outwardly, an inwardly project- Ving ridge on the inner Side of Said Sheet metal and conforming to the configuration of said letter, a sheet of translucent material back of said letter, and means to hold Said translueent material against said ridge and in spaced relation to the Sheet metal.

6. In a sign, a box having each letter formed of a Sheet metal Section, an outwardly projecting member Stamped thereon to define a letter the edge of which forms a molding which fiares outwardly, an inwardly projecting ridge on the inner Side of said Sheet metal, and running around said letter, a Sheet of translucent material back of Said letter, and means to hold Said translucent material against Said ridge and in spaced relation to the Sheet metal.

7 ln a sign, a box having each letter formed of a Sheet metal Section., an outwardly pro- `jecting member Stamped thereon to define a letter, the edge of which forms a molding which flaresoutwardly, an inwardly projecting ridge on the inner side of Said Sheet metal formed integrally therewith and running around said letter, a Sheet of translucent material back of Said letter, and means to hold Said translucent material against said ridge and in spaced relation to the Sheet metal.

8. A letter formed from Sheet metal, the edge of the letter being defined by an outwardly projecting molding, the edge of which fiares outwardly, a ridge on the opposite Side of said Sheet metal which runs around said letter, and means for holdin a Sheet of translucent material against Said ridge.

9. A letter formed from Sheet metal, the edge of the letter being defined by an outwardly projecting molding, the edge of which flares outwardly, and a ridge on the opposite side of said Sheet metal conforming to the configuration of Said letter, Said ridge being formed integrally with Said Sheet metal, and means for holding a Sheet of translucent material against said ridge.

HERMAN F. VOHARDT. 

